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UNITED STATES RICHARD o. rELLows,

PATENT OFFICE.

on NEW YORK, N. Y.

MANUFACTURE OF BRUSH KNQTS OR TUFTS OF BRlS TLES.

SPIElCIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 342,248, dated May 18, 1886.

Application filed April 26, 1884.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD G. FELLows, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture of Brush-Knots or Tufts of Bristles and other Fiber, which improvement is fully set forth in following specification.

This invention has reference to the manufacture of the knots or tn fts of bristles or other fiber to be secured in a block of wood or other material, to form 'a brush for toilet and other purposes. It has for its object to produce wired knots or tufts for setting in bored stock, each knot or tuft being so wired that the wire does not interfere with the close fitting of the knots in the holes, while at the same time it firmly binds the bristles or fiber together, and the knots or tufts can be cheaply manufactured.

In the making of toilet-brushes it is essential that the holes in the brush back or stock should be each well filled, for the presence of any considerable number of partly-filled holes (commonly called gap-knots) renders the brush unsalable. It is itlSL essential that the individual bristles should be firmly held, for if these begin to come out singly here and there the brush soon deteriorates in appearance and scrviceablencss. Theimportance of economy in the manufacture is obvious.

Good brushes have been and are made by the ordinary process of wircdrawing; but this is very expensive, especially in making solidback brushes, when trcpanning has to be re sorted to. Moreover, in wire-drawing the knots or tufts are necessarily made by the person filling the brush-stock at the same time that operation is performed. It is therefore impossible, under this mode of brush-making, to produce the knots or tufts separately as an article of manufacture or commerce.

The putting up of the wired knots for separate use is a further object of this invention.

In order to produce the improved knots or tufts the proper number of bristles of double the length of the proposed knot are bunched together evenly. A short wire, fine and very pliable, is laid across the middle of the bristles. The ends of the wire are then bent down around the bristles. The latter are doubled, so that the ends come together, and the wire Serial No. 199,418. (No model.)

ends are twisted tightly together, so that the ring of wire, which encircles the bristles at the bight thereof, binds them closely. The new or improved knot thus consists of a number of doubled bristles or other fiber bound together at the bight or eye of the knot by a tightly-fitting ring of fine wire confined or prevented from spreading by the twisting together of the ends of the wire composing it. It has been specified that the wire is fine and very pliable. These qualities are essential, for it is impossible to make a tight-fitting ring with coarse or stiff wire, and it is also impossible, if coarse or stiff wire be used, to insert the knots in holes which the knots would fill. The hole must be larger than the knot, in order to allow the wire ringto enter.

It has been heretofore proposed to secure looped knots in bored wooden stock by wire staples, which encircle the bristles at the eye of the knot, and a shank formed by twisting together the ends of the wire of which the ring is made. The shanks of the staples were to be driven into the wood at the bottom of the holes. Staples of this kind are entirely unsuited to the purposes of the binding-wire of the present invention. They cannot, be cause the coarseness and stiffness of the wire will not allow it to,yield or conform to the inclosed bristles,nor permitthe twist to be made with sufficient tightness to close the ring upon the bristles. They are not capable of entering a hole which the knot or tuft can fill, because the wire ring is necessarily of larger diameter than the knot or tuft. The bindingwires of the improved knots are also wholly incapable of use as staples, neither the twisted wire ends nor the binding-ring having the strength required for the purpose. fore, also, wire binding of various kinds has been devised; but they are objectionable, because of the defects stated, and also because they are liable themselves to become loose. In order to put up the knots or tufts in merchantable form they are confined in holders. The holder consists of a card, disk, or plate, of wood or other suitable material, provided with numerous holes slightly in excess of the diameter of the brush-knots. The knots or tufts are set singly in the holes until the card, disk or plate is full. These cards can then be Hereto= in 'eyelets. They are, however, much less convenient than the perforated cards. The knots are retained in holders by the elasticity of the doubled fibers.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in vertical section of one of the improved knots or tufts; Fig. 2, views in cross-section on the dotted line, Fig. 1, looking down, and on different scales; Fig. 3, aside elevation showing the doubled bristles confined by an eyelet, and Fig. 4 aview showing a card partly filled with the improved knots for packing or sale. Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are all enlarged views.

A represents the bristles, doubled at the middle and there bound by the tight-fitting ring B, composed of a fine and pliable wire, whose ends are tightly twisted together, as shown at O. The knot or tuft atthe eye is elliptical in cross-section, (see Fig. 2,) and the wire crosses the bristles in the direction of the shorter axis. Being small, it lies within the circle shown in dotted lines, of which the longer axis of the ellipse is the diameter.- It therefore never interferes with setting the knots in the holes in the brush-stock; butthe wired knots can be inserted in any hole which would receive them if unwired.

Soft-brass wire of the size commonly used for wire-drawing knots is preferred for the binding. In order to facilitate the manipulations,the binding-wire is originally somewhat longer than is necessary to form the ring B and twist (l, and after the ends have been twisted the excess is cut off. This proceeding has also the further advantage of leaving the wire tightly twisted to the ends.

For transportation and sale, the wire knots of doubled bristles are inserted in holders consisting of eyelets D, (one for each knot,)

or, preferably, of a card or disk, E, of wood, provided with a large number of holes. The wooden card may be three-eighths of an inch thick and three inches in diameter, although the dimensions and shape are not material, and may be varied at will. The number of holes in a card is also not material. The holes themselves should be slightly larger than required to receive the knots. The elasticity of the doubled bristles will hold them in place, if ordinary care in packing and transportation be used.

The knots or tufts, when used, can be so cured in the brush stock or back in any ordinary or suitable Way. They may, for example, be cemented in bored stock, as described in my application for improvement in the manufacture of brushes, filed June 27, 1881, and officially numbered 36,910.

Having now fully described my said invention and the manner of carrying the same into effect, what I claim is The improved brush-knots described, the same being composed each of a number of bristles or'fibers doubled at the middle and there encircled by a close-fitting ring of fine and pliable binding-wire, the ends of which wire are tightly twisted together, so as permanently to confine and bind together the bristles in the ring, the diameter of said ring being less than the greatest diameter of the knot at the eye, so that the wired knots can be set in holes which the bristles, when inserted, will sensibly fill, and the said knots being adapted for separate saleby insertion in holders, substantially as set forth. 7

In testin'i'onywhereof 1 have signed this specification in the presencebf two subscribing witnesses. I

BIOHD. O. FELLOWS.

Witnesses:

A. PoLLoK, PHILIP MAURO. 

